Kristi Noem — the American politician and rancher who has served as the 8th United States Secretary of Homeland Security since January 2025 — was born on this day — November 30, 1971 — in Watertown, South Dakota.

She is a graduate of South Dakota State University, where she earned a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science.

Prior to her appointment to the Cabinet, Noem served as the Governor of South Dakota from 2019 to 2025, the first woman to hold that office. She previously represented South Dakota’s at-large congressional district in the U.S. House of Representatives for eight years. Before entering public service, she was a small business owner and helped manage her family’s ranch and farm in Hamlin County.
+1

:::